TRAINING

How we can help

BPW UK is a non party political organisation which lobbies on behalf of working women. BPW members can influence policies which will affect women by talking with decision makers, locally, nationally and internationally. BPW is a member of the European Women’s Lobby, which monitors legislation coming from the European Parliament to see how it will impact on the lives of women. It also has consultative status at the United Nations. BPW was a founder member of the Women’s National Commission and works with other leading women’s groups in the UK who are part of the 6-0.

Given the opportunity to voice their opinion in a small, supportive environment, members gain the confidence to play a fuller part in local life, such as becoming a parish councillor or school governor. Others gain sufficient confidence to take higher office, becoming councillors or mayors in their home town.

Learning to put together a presentation about an issue on which you feel strongly – perhaps mixed sex wards in NHS hospitals or stamp duty on pensions – develops confidence and public speaking skills in a semi formal setting. Note taking, minuting, agenda planning, chairing committees and team working are all useful skills for the workplace.

Each year at conference, members have the opportunity to encourage others to support their point of view. After researching the facts, members can speak about their motion at the annual conference. Using a microphone, talking on stage and addressing a large audience are other skills which develop. Other members are pleased to be “critical friends”; explaining where a presentation has gone well or perhaps where some extra guidance is needed. Other members will offer practical skills, such as setting up displays, manning stalls or preparing power point presentations.

Opinions once passed, form the BPW Mandate and other members are then encouraged to lobby on the issue by visiting their local MP, writing letters or talking to wider groups and the media. Some members enjoy visiting their local radio or television studios to put forward their opinions.

The annual June O’Dell Award for Training was established to provide financial assistance to a member of BPW undertaking a course of training that would improve her employment potential or improve her career prospects. Contact the office for more details.

Molly Perry Memorial Award

The Molly Perry Memorial Award is unique to BPW Billericay and was founded on the death of a much loved and respected member of the club in 1984. On Molly’s death her close relatives gave monies to BPW Billericay to set up a Trust Fund for some good cause of the members own choosing. Knowing Molly’s involvement with the Public Speaking Competition, the members decided to organise an award for local girls to encourage them to enter a field of education for many years barred to them. The criterium for the award is that candidates are accepted by a university to study medicine or allied subjects, an applied science, or engineering. Molly herself had engineering qualifications and her sister Nancy had been an extremely talented consultant gynaecologist at the hospital in the town.

Each year a letter is sent to the secondary schools in Billericay inviting them to submit nominations for the award. The girls are then invited to attend an informal interview with a panel of members; consideration is given not only to the grades they have achieved in their A Levels but to their outside interests and aspirations for the future. Awardees and their families are then invited to our presentation evening.

The Presentation Evening this year was held on 15 September in Billericay School. Seven girls received monetary awards to help them on their way.

From left to right in the photograph they are:

Helena Turner going to Leeds to study Radiography – Diagnostic and ImagingRuksar Uddin going to Queen Mary College London to study PharmacologyHannah Cousins going to Warwick to study Biomedical ScienceHarriet Mok going to East Anglia to study BiochemistrySarah Kettlewell going to Sheffield to study Speech ScienceHayley Allison going to Leicester to study Physics with AstrophysicsKatie Graham going to University of London Islington to study Ophthalmic Dispensing

The young lady on the extreme right is Nancy Nunn. Nancy was a former awardee and was our guest speaker on the evening. Nancy is now a prominent practising osteopath and senior lecturer at the College of Osteopathy.

An enjoyable evening spent with awardees, family members and friends, and of course members of BPW Billericay. We are very proud of our Molly Perry Award!

Application for the June O'dell award

To take advantage of this exciting opportunity within BPWUK , click on the links below